Better known to the
proletariat as Retin-A, retinoic
acid is used by
adolescents to get rid of
pimples, and by the
elderly to get rid of
wrinkles. Retin-A uses the same
strategy to do both: It
dries out the skin, and causes it to
stretch a bit, which has the effect of
smoothing out wrinkles and eliminating the
oils that cause
acne. I used Retin-A in
middle school and
high school because I had a nasty acne problem. It
stung a bit when it went on, and it made my skin very
sensitive.
Additionally, when I went to gym class, the sweat on my face would sting me intensely. Sometimes it would even cause my top layer of skin to peel off a little bit. If I was a girl, I guess I would have been mortified, but I have always been a somewhat morbid person, so I thought it was kind of cool.